The Recorded Origin of the Tolman Sweet Apple Questioned

Abstract

'Tolman Sweet' has been a standard apple here in St. Lawrence county for over a century, being a contemporary of the 'Fameuse', 'St. Lawrence', 'Stone' and 'Golden Russet'. It is not quite as hardy to cold as the 'Fameuse' or 'Golden Russet', and not nearly as hardy as the ' St. Lawrence' or 'Stone'. Over half of the native pasture seedling apples, of better than average quality, are obviously 'Tolman Sweet' seedlings; and it takes from 50 to 75 years for a pasture seedling to become a large enough bearing tree to attract attention. Between being browsed by cattle continually, and girdled by rodents, its only recourse is to start anew from the roots, and come up through the dead brush of its earlier attempts. 'McIntosh' is still too new a variety to ehibit many pasture seedlings.